CHAPTER XIII. THE CIRCUS
The days went by, but no further word of the Winfield murderer came tothe anxious ears of the little girl at Billabong homestead. Norah neverread the papers, and could not therefore satisfy her mind by theirreports; but all her inquiries were met by the same reply, "Nothingfresh." The police were still in the district--so much she knew, forshe had caught glimpses of them when out riding with her father. Thestern-looking men in dusty uniforms were unusual figures in those quietparts. But Norah could not manage to discover if they had searched thescrub that hid the Hermit's simple camp; and the mystery of theWinfield murder seemed as far from being cleared up as ever.
Meanwhile there was plenty to distract her mind from such disquietingmatters. The station work happened to be particularly engrossing justthen, and day after day saw Norah in the saddle, close to her father'sbig black mare, riding over hills and plains, bringing up the slow sheepor galloping gloriously after cattle that declined to be mustered. Therewere visits of inspection to be made to the farthest portions of therun, and busy days in the yards, when the men worked at drafting thestock, and Norah sat perched on the high "cap" of a fence and, watchingwith all her eager little soul in her eyes, wished heartily that she hadbeen born a boy. Then there were a couple of trips with Mr. Linton tooutlying townships, and on one of these occasions Norah had a piece ofmarvellous luck, for there was actually a circus in Cunjee--a real,magnificent circus, with lions and tigers and hyaenas, and a camel, andother beautiful animals, and, best of all, a splendid elephant of meekand mild demeanour. It was the elephant that broke up Norah's calmness.
"Oh, Daddy!" she said. "Daddy! Oh, can't we stay?"
Mr. Linton laughed.
"I was expecting that," he said. "Stay? And what would Brownie bethinking?"
Norah's face fell.
"Oh," she said. "I'd forgotten Brownie. I s'pose it wouldn't do. Butisn't it a glorious elephant, Daddy?"
"It is, indeed," said Mr. Linton, laughing. "I think it's too gloriousto leave, girlie. Fact is, I had an inkling the circus was to be here,so I told Brownie not to expect us until she saw us. She put a basket inthe buggy, with your tooth-brush, I think."
The face of his small daughter was sufficient reward.
"Daddy!" she said. "Oh, but you are the MOST Daddy!" Words failed her atthat point.
Norah said that it was a most wonderful "spree." They had dinner at thehotel, where the waiter called her "Miss Linton," and in all waysbehaved precisely as if she were grown up, and after dinner she and herfather sat on the balcony while Mr. Linton smoked and Norah watched thepopulation arriving to attend the circus. They came from allquarters--comfortable old farm wagons, containing whole families; a fewsmart buggies; but the majority came on horseback, old as well as young.The girls rode in their dresses, or else had slipped on habit skirtsover their gayer attire, with great indifference as to whether ithappened to be crushed, and they had huge hats, trimmed with all thecolours of the rainbow. Norah did not know much about dress, but itseemed to her theirs was queer. But one and all looked so happy andexcited that dress was the last thing that mattered.
It seemed to Norah a long while before Mr. Linton shook the ashes fromhis pipe deliberately and pulled out his watch. She was inwardly dancingwith impatience.
"Half-past seven," remarked her father, shutting up his watch with aclick. "Well, I suppose we'd better go, Norah. All ready, dear?"
"Yes, Daddy. Must I wear gloves?"
"Why, not that I know of," said her father, looking puzzled. "Hardlynecessary, I think. I don't wear 'em. Do you want to?"
"Goodness--no!" said his daughter hastily.
"Well, that's all right," said Mr. Linton. "Stow them in my pocket andcome along."
Out in the street there were unusual signs of bustle. People werehurrying along the footpath. The blare of brass instruments came fromthe big circus tent, round which was lingering every small boy of Cunjeewho could not gain admission. Horses were tied to adjoining fences,considerably disquieted by the brazen strains of the band. It was verycheerful and inspiring, and Norah capered gently as she trotted along byher father.
Mr. Linton gave up his tickets at the first tent, and they passed in toview the menagerie--a queer collection, but wonderful enough in the eyesof Cunjee. The big elephant held pride of place, as he stood in hiscorner and sleepily waved his trunk at the aggravating flies. Norahloved him from the first, and in a moment was stroking his trunk,somewhat to her father's anxiety.
"I hope he's safe?" he asked an attendant.
"Bless you, yes, sir," said that worthy, resplendent in dingy scarletuniform. "He alwuz knows if people ain't afraid of him. Try him withthis, missy." "This" was an apple, and Jumbo deigned to accept it atNorah's hands, and crunched it serenely.
"He's just dear," said Norah, parting reluctantly from the huge swayingbrute and giving him a final pat as she went.
"Better than Bobs?" asked her father.
"Pooh!" said Norah loftily. "What's this rum thing?"
"A wildebeest," read her father. "He doesn't look like it."
"Pretty tame beast, I think," Norah observed, surveying thestolid-looking animal before her. "Show me something really wild,Daddy."
"How about this chap?" asked Mr. Linton.
They were before the tiger's cage, and the big yellow brute was walkingup and down with long stealthy strides, his great eyes roving over thecurious faces in front of him. Some one poked a stick at him--anattention which met an instant roar and spring on the tiger's part, anda quick, and stinging rebuke from an attendant, before which the pokerof the stick fled precipitately. The crowd, which had jumped back as oneman, pressed nearer to the cage, and the tiger resumed his quick, silentprowl. But his eyes no longer roved over the faces. They remained fixedupon the man who had provoked him.
"How do you like him?" Mr. Linton asked his daughter.
Norah hesitated.
"He's not nice, of course," she said. "But I'm so awfully sorry for him,aren't you, Daddy? It does seem horrible--a great, splendid thing likethat shut up for always in that little box of a cage. You feel he reallyought to have a great stretch of jungle to roam in."
"And eat men in? I think he's better where he is."
"Well, you'd think the world was big enough for him to have a placeapart from men altogether," said Norah, holding to her point sturdily."Somewhere that isn't much wanted--a sandy desert, or a spare Alp! Thisdoesn't seem right, somehow. I think I've seen enough animals, Daddy,and it's smelly here. Let's go into the circus."
The circus tent was fairly crowded as Norah and her father made theirway in and took the seats reserved for them, under the direction ofanother official in dingy scarlet. Round the ring the tiers of seatsrose abruptly, each tier a mass of eager, interested faces. A lameseller of fruit and drinks hobbled about crying his wares; at intervalscame the "pop" of a lemonade bottle, and there was a steady crunching ofpeanut shells. The scent of orange peel rose over the circus smell--thatweird compound of animal and sawdust and acetylene lamps. In the midstof all was the ring, with its surface banked up towards the outer edge.
They had hardly taken their seats when the band suddenly struck up inits perch near the entrance, and the company entered to the inspiringstrains. First came the elephant, very lazy and stately--gorgeouslycaparisoned now, with a gaily attired "mahout" upon his neck. Behind himcame the camel; and the cages with the other occupants of the menagerie,looking either bored or fierce. They circled round the ring and thenfiled out.
The band struck up a fresh strain and in cantered a lovely lady on achestnut horse. She wore a scarlet hat and habit, and looked to Norahvery like a Christmas card. Round the ring she dashed gaily, and behindher came another lady equally beautiful in a green habit, on a blackhorse; and a third, wearing a habit of pale blue plush who managed apiebald horse. Then came some girls in bright frocks, on beautifulponies; and some boys, in tights, on other ponies; and then men, also intights of every colour in the rainbow, who rode round w
ith boredexpressions, as if it were really too slow a thing merely to sit on ahorse's back, instead of pirouetting there upon one foot. They flashedround once or twice and were gone, and Norah sat back and gasped,feeling that she had had a glimpse into another world--as indeed shehad.
A little figure whirled into the ring--a tiny girl on a jet-black pony.She was sitting sideways at first, but as the pony settled into itsstride round the ring she suddenly leaped to her feet and, standingpoised, kissed her hands gaily to the audience. Then she capered firston one foot, then on another; she sat down, facing the tail, and layflat along the pony's back; she assumed every position except thenatural one. She leapt to the ground (to Norah's intense horror, whoimagined she didn't mean to), and, running fiercely at the pony, sprangon his back again, while he galloped the harder. Lastly, she dropped ahandkerchief, which she easily recovered by the simple expedient ofhanging head downwards, suspended by one foot, and then galloped out ofthe ring, amid the frantic applause of Cunjee.
"Could you do that, Norah?" laughed Mr. Linton.
"Me?" said Norah amazedly; "me? Oh, fancy me ever thinking I could ridea bit!"
One of the lovely ladies, in a glistening suit of black, covered withspangles, next entered. She also preferred to ride standing, but was byno means idle. A gentleman in the ring obligingly handed her up manynecessaries--plates and saucers and knives--and she threw these aboutthe air, as she galloped with great apparent carelessness, yet neverfailed to catch each just as it seemed certain to fall. Tiring of thispursuit, she flung them all back at the gentleman with deadly aim, whilehe, resenting nothing, caught them cleverly, and disposed of them to aclown who stood by, open-mouthed. Then the gentleman hung bright ribbonsacross the ring, apparently with the unpleasant intention of sweepingthe lady from her horse--an intention which she frustrated by lightlyleaping over each in turn, while her horse galloped beneath it. Finally,the gentleman--whose ideas really seemed most unfriendly--suddenlyconfronted her with a great paper-covered hoop, the very sight of whichwould have made an ordinary horse shy wildly--but even at this obstaclethe lady did not lose courage. Instead, she leaped straight through thehoop, paper and all, and was carried out by her faithful steed, amidstyells of applause.
Norah gasped.
"Oh, isn't it perfectly lovely, Daddy!" she said.
Perhaps you boys and girls who live in cities, or near townships wheretravelling companies pay yearly visits, can have no idea of what thisfirst circus meant to this little bush maid, who had lived all hertwelve years without seeing anything half so wonderful. Perhaps, too,you are lucky to have so many chances of seeing things--but it issomething to possess nowadays, even at twelve, the unspoiled, fresh mindthat Norah brought to her first circus.
Everything was absolutely real to her. The clown was a being almost toogood for this world, seeing that his whole time was spent in makingpeople laugh uproariously, and that he was so wonderfully unselfish inthe way he allowed himself to be kicked and knocked about--alwayslanding in positions so excruciatingly droll that you quite forgot toask if he were hurt. All the ladies who galloped round the ring, anddid such marvellous things, treating a mettled steed as though he wereas motionless as a kitchen table, seemed to Norah models of beauty andgrace. There was one who set her heart beating by her daring, for shenot only leaped through a paper-covered hoop, but through three, oneafter the other, and then--marvel of marvels--through one on which thepaper was alight and blazing fiercely! Norah held her breath, expectingto see her scorched and smouldering at the very least; but the heroicrider galloped on, without seeming so much as singed. Almost aswonderful was the total indifference of the horses to the strangesights around them.
"Bobs would be off his head!" said Norah.
She was especially enchanted with a small boy and girl who rode in onthe same brown pony, and had all sorts of capers, as much off the pony'sback as upon it. Not that it troubled them to be off, because theysimply ran, together, at the pony, and landed simultaneously, standingon his back, while the gallant steed galloped the more furiously. Theyhung head downwards while the pony jumped over hurdles, to their greatapparent danger; they even wrestled, standing, and the girl pitched theboy off to the accompaniment of loud strains from the band and wildcheers from Cunjee. Not that the boy minded--he picked himself up andraced the pony desperately round the ring--the girl standing andshrieking encouragement, the pony racing, the boy scudding in front,until he suddenly turned and bolted out of the ring, the pony followingat his heels, but never quite catching him--so that the boy really won,after all, which Norah thought was quite as it should be.
Then there were the acrobats--accomplished men in tight clothes--who cutthe most amazing somersaults, and seemed to regard no object as toogreat to be leaped over. They brought in the horses, and stood ever somany of them together, backed up by the elephant, and the leadingacrobat jumped over them all without any apparent effort. After whichall the horses galloped off of their own accord, and "put themselvesaway" without giving anyone any trouble. Then the acrobats were hauledup into the top of the tent, where they swung themselves from rope torope, and somersaulted through space; and one man hung head downwards,and caught by the hands another who came flying through the air as if hebelonged there. Once he missed the outstretched hands, and Norah gaspedexpecting to see him terribly hurt--instead of which he fell harmlesslyinto a big net thoughtfully spread for his reception, and rebounded likea tennis ball, kissing his hand gracefully to the audience, after whichhe again whirled through the air, and this time landed safely in thehands of the hanging man, who had all this while seemed just ascomfortable head downwards as any other way. There was even a little boywho swung himself about the tent as fearlessly as the grown men, and cutcapers almost as dangerous as theirs. Norah couldn't help breathing morefreely when the acrobats bowed their final farewell.
Mr. Linton consulted his programme.
"They're bringing in the lion next," he said.
The band struck up the liveliest of tunes. All the ring was cleared now,except for the clown, who suddenly assumed an appearance of greatsolemnity. He marched to the edge of the ring and struck an attitudeindicative of profound respect.
In came the elephant, lightly harnessed, and drawing a huge cage onwheels. On other sides marched attendants in special uniforms, and onthe elephant's back stood the lion tamer, all glorious in scarlet andgold, so that he was almost hurtful to the eye. In the cage three lionspaced ceaselessly up and down. The band blared. The people clapped. Theclown bowed his forehead into the dust and said feelingly, "Wow!"
Beside the ring was another, more like a huge iron safe than a ring, asit was completely walled and roofed with iron bars. The cage was drawnup close beside this, and the doors slid back. The lions needed nofurther invitation. They gave smothered growls as they leaped from theirclose quarters into this larger breathing space. Then another door wasopened stealthily, and the lion tamer slipped in, armed with no weaponmore deadly than a heavy whip.
Norah did not like it. It seemed to her, to put it mildly, a riskyproceeding. Generally speaking, Norah was by no means a careful soul,and had no opinion of people who thought over much about looking aftertheir skins; but this business of lions was not exactly what she hadbeen used to. They appeared to her so hungry, and so remarkably illtempered; and the man was as one to three, and had, apparently, noadvantage in the matter of teeth and claws.
"Don't like this game," said the bush maiden, frowning. "Is he safe,Daddy?"
"Oh, he's all right," her father answered, smiling. "These chaps knowhow to take care of themselves; and the lions know he's master. Watchthem Norah."
Norah was already doing that. The lions prowling round the ring, keepingwary eyes on their tamer, were called to duty by a sharp crack of thewhip. Growling, they took their respective stations--two on the seats ofchairs, the third standing between them, poised on the two chair backs.Then they were put through a quick succession of tricks. They jumpedover chairs and ropes and each other; they raced rou
nd the ring, takinghurdles at intervals; they balanced on big wooden balls, and pushed themalong by quick changes of position. Then they leaped through hoops,ornamented with fluttering strips of paper, and clearly did not care forthe exercise. And all the while their stealthy eyes never left those ofthe tamer.
"How do you like it?" asked Mr. Linton.
"It's beastly!" said Norah, with surprising suddenness. "I hate it,Daddy. Such big, beautiful things, and to make them do silly tricks likethese; just as you'd train a kitten!"
"Well, they're nothing more than big cats," laughed her father.
"I don't care. It's--it's mean, I think. I don't wonder they're cross.And you can see they are, Daddy. If I was a lion I know I'd want to bitesomebody!"
The lions certainly did seem cross. They growled constantly, and wereslow to obey orders. The whip was always cracking, and once or twice abig lioness, who was especially sulky, received a sharp cut. The outsideattendants kept close to the cage, armed with long iron bars. Norahthought, watching them, that they were somewhat uneasy. For herself, sheknew she would be very glad when the lion "turn" was over.
The smaller tricks were finished, and the tamer made ready for the grand"chariot act." He dragged forward an iron chariot and to it harnessedthe smaller lions with stout straps, coupling the reins to a hook on thefront of the little vehicle. Then he signalled to the lioness to takeher place as driver.
The lioness did not move. She crouched down, watching him with hungry,savage eyes. The trainer took a step forward, raising his whip.
"You--Queen!" he said sharply.
She growled, not stirring. A sudden movement of the lions behind himmade the trainer glance round quickly.
There was a roar, and a yellow streak cleft the air. A child's voicescreamed. The tamer's spring aside was too late, He went down on hisface, the lioness upon him.
Norah's cry rang out over the circus, just as the lioness sprang--toolate for the trainer, however. The girl was on her feet, clutching herfather.
"Oh, Daddy--Daddy!" she said.
All was wildest confusion. Men were shouting, women screaming--two girlsfainted, slipping down, motionless, unnoticed heaps, from their seats.Circus men yelled contradictory orders. Within the ring the lionesscrouched over the fallen man, her angry eyes roving about the disorderedtent.
The two lions in the chariot were making furious attempts to break away.Luckily their harness was strong, and they were so close to the edge ofthe ring that the attendants were able, with their iron bars, to keepthem in check. After a few blows they settled down, growling, butsubdued.
But to rescue the trainer was not so easy a matter. He lay in the verycentre of the ring, beyond the reach of any weapons; and not a man wouldventure within the great cage. The attendants shouted at the lioness,brandished irons, cracked whips. She heard them unmoved. Once sheshifted her position slightly and a moan came from the man underneath.
"This is awful," Mr. Linton said. He left his seat in the front row andwent across the ring to the group of white-faced men. "Can't you shootthe brute?" he asked.
"We'd do it in a minute," the proprietor answered. "But who'd shoot andtake the chance of hitting Joe? Look at the way they are--it's ten toone he'd get hit." He shook his head. "Well, I guess it's up to me to goin and tackle her--I'd get a better shot inside the ring." He movedforward.
A white-faced woman flung herself upon him and clung to him desperately.Norah hardly recognised her as the gay lady who had so merrily jumpedthrough the burning hoops a little while ago. "You shan't go, Dave!" shecried, sobbing. "You mustn't! Think of the kiddies! Joe hasn't got awife and little uns."
The circus proprietor tried to loosen her hold. "I've got to, my girl,"he said gently. "I can't leave a man o' mine to that brute. It's myfault--I orter known better than to let him take her from them cubsto-night. Let go, dear." He tried to unclinch her hands from his coat.
"Has she--the lioness--got little cubs?"
It was Norah's voice, and Mr. Linton started to find her at his side.Norah, very pale and shaky, with wide eyes, glowing with a great idea.
The circus man nodded. "Two."
"Wouldn't she--" Norah's voice was trembling almost beyond the power ofspeech--"wouldn't she go to them if you showed them to her--put them inthe small cage? My--old cat would!"
"By the powers!" said the proprietor. "Fetch 'em, Dick--run." The clownran, his grotesque draperies contrasting oddly enough with his errand.
In an instant he was back, two fluffy yellow heaps in his arms. Onewhined as they drew near the cage, and the lioness looked up sharplywith a growl. The clown held the cubs in her view, and she growledagain, evidently uneasy. Beneath her the man was quiet now.
"The cage--quick?"
The big lion cage, its open door communicating with the ring, stoodready. The clown opened another door and slipped in the protesting cubs.They made for the further door, but were checked by the stout cordsfastened to their collars. He held them in leash, in full view of thelioness. She growled and moved, but did not leave her prey.
"Make 'em sing out!" the woman said sharply. Someone handed the clown aniron rod sharpened at one end. He passed it through the bars, andprodded a cub on the foot. It whined angrily, and a quick growl camefrom the ring.
"Harder, Dick!"
The clown obeyed. There was a sharp, amazed yelp of pain from the cub,and an answering roar from the mother. Another protesting cry--and thenagain that yellow streak as the lioness left her prey and sprang to herbaby, with a deafening roar. The clown tugged the cubs sharply back intothe recesses of the cage as the mother hurled herself through the narrowopening. Behind her the bars rattled into place and she was restored tocaptivity.
It was the work of only a moment to rush into the ring, where the tamerlay huddled and motionless. Kind hands lifted him and carried him awaybeyond the performance tent, with its eager spectators. The attendantsquickly unharnessed the two tame lions, and they were removed in anothercage, brought in by the elephant for their benefit.
Norah slipped a hot, trembling hand into her father's.
"Let's go, Daddy--I've had enough."
"More than enough, I think," said Mr. Linton. "Come on, little girl."
They slipped out in the wake of the anxious procession that carried thetamer. As they went, a performing goat and monkey passed them on theirway to the ring, and the clown capered behind them. They heard hischeerful shout, "Here we are again!" and the laughter of the crowd asthe show was resumed.
"Plucky chap, that clown," Mr. Linton said.
In the fresh air the men had laid the tamer down gently, and a doctorwas bending over him examining him by the flickering light of torchesheld by hands that found it hard to be steady.
"Not so much damaged as he might be," the doctor announced, rising."That shoulder will take a bit of healing, but he looks healthy. Hispadded uniform has saved his life. Let's get him to the private hospitalup the street. Everything necessary is there, and I'd like to have hisshoulder dressed before he regains consciousness."
The men lifted the improvised stretcher again, and passed on with it.Norah and her father were following, when a voice called them. The wifeof the circus proprietor ran after them--a strange figure enough, in herscarlet riding dress, the paint on her face streaked with tear marks.
"I'd like to know who you are," she said, catching Norah's hand. "Butfor you my man 'ud 'a been in the ring with that brute. None of us hadthe sense to think o' bringin' in the cubs. Tell me your name, dearie."
Norah told her unwillingly. "Nothing to make a fuss over," she added, ingreat confusion.
"I guess you saved Joe's life, an' perhaps my Dave's as well," the womansaid. "We won't forget you. Good night, sir, an' thank you both."
Norah had no wish to be thanked, being of opinion that she had done lessthan nothing at all. She was feeling rather sick, and--amazing feelingfor Norah--inclined to cry. She was very glad to get into bed at thehotel, and eagerly welcomed her father's suggestion that he s
hould sitfor a while in her room. Norah did not know that it was dawn before Mr.Linton left his watch by the restless sleeper, quiet now, and sought hisown couch.
She woke late, from a dream of lions and elephants, and men who moanedsoftly. Her father was by her bedside.
"Breakfast, lazy bones," he said.
"How's the tamer?" queried Norah, sitting up.
"Getting on all right. He wants to see you."
"Me!" said Norah. "Whatever for?"
"We've got to find that out," said her father, withdrawing.
They found out after breakfast, when a grateful, white-faced man,swathed in bandages, stammered broken thanks.
"For it was you callin' out that saved me first," he said. "I'd never 'athought to jump, but I heard you sing out to me, an' if I hadn't she'd abroke my neck, sure. An' then it was you thought o' bringing in thecubs. Well, missy, I won't forget you long's I live."
The nurse, at his nod, brought out the skin of a young tiger,beautifully marked and made into a rug.
"If you wouldn't mind takin' that from me," explained the tamer. "I'dlike to feel you had it, an' I'd like to shake hands with you, missy."
Outside the room Norah turned a flushed face to her father.
"Do let's go home, Daddy," she begged. "Cunjee's too embarrassing for me!"